Flexible boot with front and rear reinforcing strips



- Feb. 21, 1950 L. H. L'HOLLIER 2,498,437

FLEXIBLE BOOT WITH FRONT AND REAR REINFORCING STRIPS Filed July 18, 1947 Leslie fi-L BUZZER Patented Feb. 21, 1950 FLEXIBLE BOOT .WITH FRONT AND REAR IREIN'FORCING STRIBS Leslie H. LHollier', Waltham, Mass, assignor-to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. 'Y.,

a corporation of New York Application July 18,1947, Serial No. 761,810

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a low-heeled article of footwear such as a boot or the like and is particularly concerned with a low-heeled boot of calf height having a calf-encircling portion with a vertical rear profile.

A boot such as the so-called overboot desirably has sufficient fullness to allow ready donning and dofiing while at the same time conforming as closely to the leg of the wearer as possible. In view of these desired characteristics, a calf height boot normally has a calf-encircling portion of substantially uniform cross section with the straight back profile of the calf-encircling portion disposed vertically above the rear edge of the heel.

A cal-f height boot of this type has the disadvantagc, however, of chafing the wearers leg since the backward cant of the leg while walking causes the upper edge of the boot to rub against the calf of the wearers leg. The problem is particularly serious in the case of boots to be worn over lowheeled shoes because the plantar surface of the foot is normally at a right angle to the leg. While walking in low-heeled shoes, the angle between the plantar surface of the foot and the leg deviates considerably from 90 although the boot angles are of course fixed. This causes chafing of the wearer's calf and unsightly wrinkling of the boot.

This problem is not so serious with boots adapted to be worn over high-heeled shoes because the angle between the foot and leg does not change greatly while walking due to the fact that the foot is normally inclined so as to throw the wearers weight forward.

The objects of this invention include providing an article of footwear having a relatively flat sole and particularly a boot adapted to be worn over low-heeled shoes, providing such a boot of calf height having a construction whereby the top edgeof the boot does not chafe the wearers leg while walking, and providing a boot affording maximum protection in combination with wearing comfort and pleasing appearance. Other objectswill be apparent from the description which follows.

In accordance with th foregoing objects, a bootwhich is a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a sole and an uppers joined together in a unitary structure having a shallow heelpocket and a calf-encircling portion with a substantially vertical rear profile, the calf-encircling portion being slit vertically through the upper marginal zone.

The invention is best understood by reference to a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear view in elevation of a boot which is a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. '2 is a perspective viewof the boot shown in Fig. 1.

The boot shown in Fig. 1 comprises a relatively fiat sole l0 and an uppers H, both of vulcanized rubber, joined together in a unitary assembly defining a shallow heel pocket. The uppers comprises vamp -l2 and quarter 13 portions and includes a calf-encircling portion H which pref erably extends to mid-calf height. The calfencircling portion I4 is preferably of substantially uniform cross section with a straight vertically extending rearprofile, the back edge of the calf! encircling portion being directly above the rear edge of the heel.

In order to maintain the boot uppers II in a normally upright unwrinkled condition, a reinforcing strip l5 extends up the frontal zone of the uppers extending from the toe of the uppers to the top thereof. The rear zone of uppers II is reinforced by a strip 16 extending upwardly from the rear heel edge and terminating short of the top of the uppers.

The marginal region I! abov rear reinforcing strip I6 is divided by slit l8 extending vertically from the upper edge IQ of the calf-encircling portion l4 downwardly through marginal region I! and terminating just above the upper end of strip I6. Preferably slit l8 extends downwardly approximately two inches from the top of the boot. In the case. of boots worn over low-heeled shoes, the slit through the marginal region prevents the boot from chafing thecalf of the wearer's leg when the leg is canted backwardly but does not extend far enough down the boot to materially reduce the protection afforded the wearer. In the preferred embodiment, the slit terminates at its lower end in acircular opening 20 which prevents the boot from being torn downwardly by the growth of slit [8.

The invention may be embodied in any article of footwear of calf height in which the inner sole surface is substantially normal to the rear profile of the calf-encircling portion and in which the uppers is of relatively flexible material. Thus the invention is applicable to fiat-soled boots as well as boots having a shallow heel pocket or other articles of footwear of those types.

An article of footwear embodying this invention' may beworn for 'extended periods of time by an" active person without danger of chafing the calf of the wearers leg. The article furnishes substantially as much protection as a conventional calf height article and has a pleasing appearance. The appearance is enhanced by the fact that the reinforcing strips and the slit margin combine to maintain the uppers in an upright unwrinkled condition either at rest or while in use.

Variations and modifications may be eifected within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Waterproof boot of substantially midca1f height comprising a sole and, a flexible upper joined together in a unitary assembly defininga shallow heel pocket, said upper including a flexible calf-encircling portion having a substantially straight vertically extending rear profile, and reinforcing means for maintaining said upper in an upright .unwrinkled condition free of the wearers leg comprising a' generally vertically disposed relatively narrow stiffening member extending along the front of said upper to the top marginthereof and a generally vertically disposed relatively narrow stifiening member extending along the rear of said upper terminating short of the top margin thereof, said stiffening membersconstituting the sole reinforcement for said'calf-encircling portion, the rear of said calfencircling portion being divided by a slit extending downwardly from the top margin through the: upper marginal region thereof and terminating at the upper end of said rear stiffening member in a circular opening adapted to prevent tearing of the upper from said slit.

- 2. A boot of substantially mid-calf height compri ing a:so1e and a flexible upper joined together in a unitary assembly defining a shallow heel pocket, said upper including a. flexible calf-encircling portion of substantially uniform crosssection having a substantially straight verticallyextending rear profile, and reinforcing means for maintaining said upper in an upright unwrinkled condition free of the wearers leg comprising a relatively narrow front stiffening member extending generally vertically along the front of the upper from the toe to the top margin thereof and a relatively narrow rear stiffening member extending generally vertically alon the rear of the. upper from the heel portion and terminating short of the top margin thereof, said stiffening members constituting the sole reinforcement for said calf-encircling portion, the rear of said calf-encircling portion being divided by a slit extending downwardly from the top margin through the marginal region thereof and terminating adjacent the upper end of said rear stiffening member. 3. The boot of claim 2 in which a'counter, reinforcement is provided for the heel portion thereof..

LESLIE H. UHQLLIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,435,485 Wheaton Feb. 3, 1948 

